Listing Text

GV
II
Formerly known as: The Angel Public House ISLINGTON HIGH STREET. Former public house and hotel, now bank and offices. Occupies prominent and historical site at important junction on brow of a hill. Dated 1903; c.1981 alterations to ground-floor. By Eedle and Myers (Frederick James Eedle and Sydney Herbert Myers), architects, and J C Edwards of Ruabon, manufacturers of terracotta; for Truman, Hanbury, Buxton and Co., brewers. Polished Norwegian granite and stone ground-floor pub/shopfront, variegated orange terracotta to upper floors; Welsh-slate mansard roof with dormers, domed terracotta roof to corner. Flemish/Edwardian Baroque style with much animated detailing. Pentonville Road facade with main entrance to centre ground-floor, original staircase to upper floors removed; Islington High Street facade with subsidiary lobby-entrance to far right bay, C20 staircase to upper floors. Five storeys, basement and attic; Pentonville Road elevation 3 bays wide, 2:2:2 and Islington High Street elevation 2 bays wide, 2:3. At 4th floor level the angle takes a circular form of 2-storey drum and dome topped by a waisted lantern (finial removed). Sashes decrease in length as they go higher; upper floors (except bow and oriel windows) with architraved casement sashes with rectangular overlights. 1st floor sashes alternate between banded rustication and walls lined as ashlar, dentiled cornice above 1st floor level; 2nd and 3rd floor sashes between paired corinthian pilasters surmounted by raised relief cushions with masques and putti; and balustraded panels beneath 2nd floor sashes with keystones and cornices; winged angel heads over 3rd floor sashes with small brackets to sills and heavy modillioned and egg and dart cornice above 3rd floor level; 4th floor bays articulated by empty niches, keystoned sashes to right bay of Islington High Street elevation. Drum of dome with round cornered sashes, wide frieze carved in relief; ribbed dome with console-bracketed lantern. Pentonville Road attic has richly carved gabled dormer to left, a dormer to right and 2 windows in the drum of the corner dome; Islington High Street elevation attic with 2 dormers to right and 2 sashes in drum of dome at corner. Pentonville Road first-floor centre bay has a bow window topped with a balustrade with panel dated 1903; 2nd floor with segmental-arched 4-light full-length casement windows leading to bowed balcony created by projection below. Ground-floor bays articulated by original granite pilasters supporting console-bracketed cornice; predominantly C20 plate-glass windows and doors. Pentonville Road round-arched recessed entrance to centre bay surmounted by open semi-circular pediment with winged angel's head, 3-light bow window to left flanked by single sashes; to right of doorway shop windows have been removed and a C20 glass wall set back behind corner of building. Islington High Street C20 recessed subsidiary entrance to right bay.

INTERIOR: : little interior fabric survives.

History: This site has been occupied by an inn or public house since at least the C17, and possibly earlier, and the name of the former 'Angel' Inn gives its name to the area. Between 1921 and 1960 the building served as a Lyons Corner House. It occupies an important corner site and is a distinctive local landmark.

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